What to expect at Google I/O 2013

May 13, 2013

Transcript

-It's time to look at what's ahead for Google.
I'm Bridget Carey and this is your CNET Update.
This week, we will be hearing about lots of new projects from Google as the annual Google I/O Developers Conference kicks off Wednesday in San Francisco.
This is the conference where Google talks about new products and software.
It'll be hard to top last year's Glass stunt show where Glass was worn by skydivers and bikers to make a grand entrance to the conference.
Google also unveiled Android Jelly Bean last year and the Nexus 7 tablet, but there was also a flop.
Remember the Nexus Q media streaming sphere?
It was a dud for being expensive and it could only stream Google contents, so Google brought it back to the drawing board.
But what's in store for this year?
Expect to hear about Google's new portal for gaming on Android and Google+.
It would be somewhat similar to Apple's Game Center.
It will keep track of leader boards, sync between devices, and also allow for online multiplayer gaming.
Google Now will likely get an update.
The Surface debuted last year and it's like an advanced personal assistant in your phone.
It gives alerts based on your calendar, location, and interest.
Google Now is a major part of Glass, so you know Google is gonna keep growing this product.
It just recently became available on the iPhone as part of the Google Search app.
Over the past few weeks, we've heard Google is working on merging all voice- and messaging-related products into one product.
It's possible.
It'll be called Hangouts.
So, watch for that.
Google Maps could get indoor tracking.
There's a schedule session on the topic and Google Wallet is expected to get an upgrade with some incentives to get more people to use it.
It's unclear if we'll see Android 5.0, the version known as Key Lime Pie.
Details suggest we'll just get small updates to Jelly Bean with Android version 4.3.
As far as hardware goes, it wouldn't surprise us to see the popular Nexus 7 tablet get an upgrade and we're hearing
rumors that Google could update the Nexus 4 smartphone with more storage and faster 4G speeds.
Many folks are also hoping Google will reveal the rumored Motorola X Phone.
And what about Google Glass?
The developer version of Glass is already out in the wild, but maybe, we'll get a peek at the design and updates for the consumer version of Glass which may come out next year or we could see products related to Glass.
It's been said Google is working on a smartwatch that has the same functionality as Glass and the blog, Android Authority, says Google
might be ready to show it off, although it also might be a little too early for that.
Be sure to join CNET's live blog when Google takes the stage Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.
Pacific, 11:30 Eastern.
And you can find more details at CNET.com/update.
From our studios in New York, I'm Bridget Carey.